North American Network Operators Group
Date Prev | Date Next | Date Index | Thread Index | Author Index | Historical

Re: New N.Y. Law Targets Hidden Net LD Tolls

  • From: Stephen Sprunk
  • Date: Fri Aug 19 15:26:43 2005 
Thus spake "Robert Bonomi" <[email protected]>
[ attribution to me missing ]

That's why some states (e.g. Texas) require that all toll calls be
dialed as 1+ _regardless of area code_, and local calls cannot be
dialed as 1+.  If you dial a number wrong, you get a message telling
you how to do it properly (and why).

In some places that "solution" is _not_practical_.  As in where the same
three digit sequence is in use as a C.O. 'prefix', *and* as an areacode.
(an where, in some 'perverse' situations, the foreign area-code is a
'non-toll' call, yet the bare prefix within the areacode is a toll call.
We don't have that problem because all nearby area codes are reserved as prefixes. For instance, if 214 and 817 are nearby, there exist no 214-817 or 817-214 numbers (or 214-214 or 817-817). Duh?

That isn't even necessary, though; if 214-817 existed, there's no way of confusing it with 817-xxx because all calls are either 10D or 11D. Such a tactic is only needed during the transition from 7D to 10D local dialing, which happened here a decade ago.

For the same reason, we no longer have an excuse for not using 0XX, 1XX, and X11 as prefixes. We're already using [2-7]00 prefixes, but I'm not surprised we don't yet (AFAICT) have 800 and 900 prefixes. We could probably drop an entire area code if they started assigning those "reserved" prefixes.

It also becomes 'utterly meaningless', when _all_ calls incur a usage
("message units" or something similar) charge.
Our PUC would be thrown out on their heads if they suggested that was even an option; I'd suggest you look a little closer at your own and possibly do some lobbying.

The Dallas local (not "metro" or "extended") calling area is about 20mi in radius, covering several million people; Houston's is about the same. Our monthly rates are just as low as the rest of the country (if not lower), yet the ILECs still rake in money like clockwork.

S

Stephen Sprunk "Those people who think they know everything
CCIE #3723 are a great annoyance to those of us who do."
K5SSS --Isaac Asimov